Category: Action Alerts

Because I’ve been a terribly neglectful blogger as of late – and because this isn’t likely to change any time soon, or at least not this week – I have an extracurricular activity for y’all. The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is this:

How Do You Help Animals?

We’re all able to help animals…

But we don’t need to be a full-time activist or have a rare talent to do so. Every day activities that we do at home or work can go a long way in making a difference for animals in need or educating others about animal suffering.

[The American Anti-Vivisection Society] AAVS hopes to inspire all of our readers by publishing the many ways our members and supporters help animals in every day life. For example, do you: bake delicious vegan treats for your carnivorous co-workers? Use your sewing talents to help keep animals in shelters warm? Volunteer your accounting skills for a grassroots group? Offer fresh veggies grown in your garden to give sanctuary animals a tasty treat? Photograph animals in shelters to help them find homes? Donate gently used animal rights literature and publications to your local library? Or maybe you help animals in another creative way.

If so, please submit your story in 250 words or less, along with your name and complete contact information, to aavs [at] aavs.org by Monday, December 14, 2009.*

*By submitting your story, you grant the American Anti-Vivisection Society permission to use your name and written submission, in whole or in part, in the AV Magazine or any other AAVS publication, print or electronic.

The photo at the top of this piece is from the lovely and talented Ari Moore, who – along with her partner, the equally lovely and talented Shira Golding, and in collaboration with The Dacha Project and Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance – produced a “short environmental zombie thriller” called Frac Attack: Dawn of the Watershed in order to protest natural gas drilling in Ithaca, New York. (How’s that for a run-on sentence, hmmm?) Total awesomeness, though team shirari makes me feel like some kind of slacker. You can learn more about the project on the film’s website or Facebook fan page.

I just spotted this notice from Farm Sanctuary in my inbox and thought I’d share. Tune in to Fox tonight at 8PM Eastern time, where the “darkly comic procedural drama”* Bones will feature undercover factory farm footage secured by Farm Sanctuary and specially requested by the show’s star – fellow vegan Emily Deschanel.

Alas, I won’t be watching. Though I adore Bones, I’m somewhat of a newbie fan, and am only halfway through Season 4 on DVD. Tonight’s episode will languish on my DVR until the Mr. and I catch up. So no spoilers, mkay?

Kelly,

Very exciting news! Tonight’s episode (8pm/7 Central) of the hit FOX show “Bones” will be spotlighting Farm Sanctuary footage of cruel factory farming practices. Please see below for full details. Make sure to tune in and please spread the word!

All the best,

Meredith

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW YORK, NY – November 5, 2009 – Tonight’s episode of the hit FOX television show “Bones” (airing at 8pm/7 Central), starring vegan actress and Farm Sanctuary supporter Emily Deschanel, will prominently feature factory farming footage secured by Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, as part of a plot-line surrounding a murder that takes place at a chicken farm.

The footage, which was requested by Deschanel, will educate thousands of mainstream viewers about the cruel conditions animals are forced to endure on factory farms. The episode also features a character who rescues a pig and asks her coworkers for donations so that she can sponsor her at a sanctuary.

To further raise awareness of the horrors of factory farming, FOX is featuring a special message from Deschanel on their website (http://fox.com/bones/) urging people to support Farm Sanctuary by sponsoring an animal in need.

To learn more about “adopting” one of Farm Sanctuary’s rescued animals, please visit farmsanctuary.org.

In lieu of my vegan story (it’s World Vegan Day, peoples!), I bring you a week’s worth of vegan links. The day was a gorgeous one, and probably the last of the season, so I spent most of it outside. Please forgive me! I swear, I’ll share my vegetarian/vegan conversion story…I want to say “tomorrow,” but “someday” is a safer bet.

But. If a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, this photo more or less sums it up.

Update, 11/1/09: Shiny news! The Gentle Barn reported today (via Facebook) that a rescue group is set to take #A260656.

All is right with the world…or at least in Cage 25, Cell Block A at the Pasadena Humane Society.

Like the Gentle Barn, I don’t normally pass along notices of individual animals in need of rescue, but #A260656 really yanked at my heartstrings. The unnamed purebred Labrador is 11 years old, black, large – and has a tumor on her stomach. In case anyone’s counting, that’s four strikes; you do the math. If you live in or near Pasadena, and/or have any connections in the animal rescue community, please help this old girl out. She’s currently staying at the Pasadena Humane Society (Animal Shelter? one and the same?).

Feel free to crosspost or link to this alert; Gentle Barn also posted this to its Facebook album, here.

There are no such things as miracles – just kind, compassionate, caring people.

Sweet Labrador Needs Your Love

Normally, The Gentle Barn doesn’t send out pleas to help place dogs or other animals. However, from time to time, one will slip through and pull at our heart strings. Below is just such a dog.

This senior purebred lab needs a home now! She is eleven years young and is the sweetest, most loving beauty. Just look at that face! I can’t believe the look in her eyes. She deserves a loving home and a family to love her, but because she has a tumor on her tummy, she is at risk for immediate euthanasia by strangers in a cold, scary room at the Pasadena Animal shelter.

She is great with other animals and kids. She has more life to live and more love to give. If you are interested in giving this angel a dignified retirement and giving yourself a sweet, black bundle of unstoppable love and cuteness, please ACT NOW! She may not be allowed to live through the weekend. Since The Gentle Barn offices are closed during the weekend, please contact the Pasadena Animal Shelter directly to save her life. Their phone number is 626-792-7151 and her shelter ID# is A260656.

There are several “actionable items” – not quite action alerts, but rather opportunities for participation, if that makes sense – I’ve been meaning to share, but just haven’t had the time to blog about in depth. Rather than neglect these projects altogether, here’s a handy-dandy roundup. Please scan through each item and help out where you can; these virtual volunteer opportunities are perfect for activists who have more extra time than they do money!

1. Science

It really chaps my rotund hide when speciesists claim that animal advocates are “anti-science.” Being all diverse and stuff, I’m sure the animal rights and welfare movements are home to a fair share of science-averse humans, but for the most part, we’re hardly anti-science. On the contrary: many of us harness the power of scientific research to demonstrate that veganism is a healthier alternative to “meat” and dairy consumption; that nonhuman animals can experience complex thoughts and emotions; that our exploitation of nonhumans animals is both unnecessary and harmful; etc., etc., etc. (you get the idea). On the whole, I don’t think we’re any more anti-science than our omni counterparts.

Personally, I love science; once upon a time, I wanted to be a clinical psychologist, specializing in anthrozoology and world vegan (then vegetarian, but wev) domination. I still peruse research articles and scientific journals (of a social nature) on occasion, just for the fun of it. No, it’s not science per se that I take issue with. Rather, I object to the imprisonment, torture, killing and exploitation of sentient, non-consenting animals, usually for redundant and frivolous research.

So I’ve become increasingly interested in “vegan” science, particularly in supporting such endeavors whenever possible. For example, I would love to donate my body to science when I die. The thought of spending my “afterlife” rotting away on a body farm somewhere brings a smile to my face; doubly so if my remains can save a nonhuman animal from being birthed, tortured and killed in the name of science. Oooh, Dr. Brennan, pick me, pick me!

Anyhow, when I saw an ad for research volunteers in the latest issue of Best Friends magazine, I immediately fired off an email to Dr. Frank McMillan to see how I might help. He pointed me to five open surveys, all of which are related to studies he’s conducting at Best Friends (as described here):

Dr. Franklin McMillan has been the director of well-being studies at Best Friends since October 2007. As director of well-being studies, Dr. Frank assesses and studies the mental health and emotional well-being of animals who have endured hardship, adversity and psychological trauma. Through these studies, he hopes to learn what the effects of trauma are – the psychological injuries and scars – and how best to treat them in order to restore to these animals a life of enjoyment rather than one of fear and emotional distress.

He is currently conducting such studies on cats from the Great Kitty Rescue in Pahrump, Nevada – an institutionalized hoarding situation – and the fighting dogs taken from the estate of former NFL quarterback Michael Vick.

Astute readers may notice that I linked to this particular Kinship Circle alert several weeks ago as part of my weekly link roundup. Even so, since this shooting occurred in Raymore, Missouri – i.e., in my neck of the woods – I formatted and posted the alert in full on the KC Freecycle blog, and figured I may as well repost it here as well.

This is just one of several animal cruelty cases highlighted by Kinship Circle in the past month; see also:

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY / PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

10/8/09: Pass California Declaw Bans, So Other Cities Follow
**SEND COMMENTS BEFORE 10/27/09, WHEN SANTA MONICA MAY VOTE ON A BAN**

EVERYONE SHOULD SEND COMMENTS to Santa Monica and Malibu city officials.
Opposing lobbies such as the CVMA and SCVMA certainly will. Let’s be louder. Declawing hurts. It’s a “surgery of convenience” for people with no benefit for cats. Every city that bans it sets an example for the next city…

In cleaning out my inbox, I found the following action alerts from SHARK; I’m including them all here for simplicity’s sake (and because I cannot find them to link to on SHARK’s website). These are all from the group’s most recent enewsletter, dated October 14, 2009.

Rodeos Send Their Horses to Slaughter

Love is a Slaughter Line???!!!

Rodeos claim to care about their animals, so why do many of their worn-out bucking horses suffer the horror of a slaughterhouse? SHARK’s 141st YouTube video is one of the most graphic we have released, making the connection between rodeo and horse slaughter. We didn’t do it to sicken people. We did it to let people know just how cruel rodeo is, and how much rodeo animal victims are suffering. It brings into focus even more sharply the role of corporate sponsors such as Coca-Cola.

I hope you will watch this video, and then call Coke (800-438-2653/800-Get-Coke) and let the company know just what you think. It is because of big money from corporate sponsors like Coke that rodeo stock contractors are breaking their horses down, as well as overbreeding, and then casting the foals who don’t make the cut into the clutches of the horrific slaughter industry.

Foreign companies are killing America’s horses — many of them rodeo horses — to be sent abroad for human consumption.

Call your legislators and ask them to vote Yes on HR503 and S727 – Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009. For more information on what you can do, go to: http://HorseKillers.com

With just over one hour to spare (U.S. CDT), I give you this week’s link roundup! Read, share, enjoy – and please excuse any mistakes or typos. It’s been a long weekend – or rather, not nearly long enough!

Update, 9/30/09: And the VeganMoFo madness multiplies! Check out Vegan MoFo Headquarters International (The Blog!) and follow VeganMoFo carnival queen Kittee on Twitter (@VeganMoFo) for details as they unfold. Also, all participating bloggers should shoot her an email with the following: email addy, URL and location, even if you’re already on the “official” blogroll.

——————

The third annual VeganMoFo is almost upon us! For the entire month of October, vegan bloggers (315 and counting!) will storm the internets with all manner of yummy, cruelty-free foodie goodness.

If you haven’t yet signed up to participate, fear not! The deadline for “registration” is October 2; hit up Cake Maker to the Stars, who is hosting the event, for details. (Scare quotes because, theoretically, you can jump in at any time. Nor should the spirit of VeganMoFo be limited to October; VeganMoFo lives in our hearts, yo!)

You can find a master list of participating blogs here, with public feed info here.

This year’s VeganMoFo is shaping up to be the grandest one yet. On Monday, Kittee Cake Maker and Carnival Queen promised that

There are big plans in the works at Vegan MoFo Headquarters International, where you’ll be able to check in everyday to read a daily MoFo Roundup, see a map of MoFoers form around the globe (sorta like Hands Across the Vegan Blogo-Galaxy), see if there are any mini Mofo events taking place, and other fancy stuff like that.

Additionally, ameyfm @ the PPK put together a nifty press release; participating MoFoers and MoFo groupies can customize the doc and send it off to their local media outlets in order to score some media coverage for the month’s events (as well as their own humble blogs and/or favorite local vegan bloggers).

But wait – there’s more! Fellow Flickerites can share their gratuitous vegan food pics in the VeganMoFo Flickr group, and should you tweet your VeganMoFo-ing, join the VeganMoFo twibe and use the hashtage #veganmofo or #vmofo. Total tubal domination is be ours!

If you’re in need of some inspiration, the PPK’s VeganMoFo forum is a great place to start. Since I know I’ll be short on time clear through October, I’ve already mapped out some of the month’s posts. Mondays will feature a vegan food p0rn mashup – read: a mosaic of vegan photos on Flickr – which should provide a nice respite from the otherwise frenetic blogging on what’s usually one of my most busiest weekdays. Or so I thought: I started playing around with the mosaic maker widget tool thingie this morning, and was sucked in for hours. Photo mashups aren’t much of a shortcut when you’ve shades of ocd and hungry eyes, I tell you what.

Anyhow, I created the above mashup in honor of VeganMoFo founder and Vegan Goddess Isa Chandra Moskowitz. All sixteen of the vegan yumyums pictured were born in her 2006 masterpiece, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. So magnum is this opus that there’s even an entire Flickr group dedicated to its offspring (which numbered 5,312 at last count). Vegan Cupcakes: they rule, you drool.

veganprimate points to the case of Robert Melia – a former police officer who, along with his girlfriend, was arrested for sexually assaulting three girls – as a demonstration of the link between the exploitation of women and that of nonhuman animals. Melia’s misogyny only came to light because Melia was under investigation for engaging in “oral sex” (read: rape) with calves. Though the animal cruelty charges were dismissed by a judge – according to whom, a grand jury had no way of knowing whether the animals were “tormented” by the assault – police found

videos on his computer of a girl being “subjected to sexual activity” in addition to taped encounters between Melia and the calves.

While I’m glad the assistant prosecutor seems to be taking animal abuse seriously, the cynic in me can’t help but think he’s simply latching onto this “lesser” offense for leverage. Either way, it’s doubtful that Melia and girlfriend Heather Lewis will serve much time, as rape is too often minimized and excused in our kyriarchal society.

Be firm but polite!

In a could-be-vegan spin on the ever-popular women-as-meat meme, I bring you: women-as-cake! Sure, there’s a dudely version of the photo too, but as Lisa points out, it’s sans copy – and probably wasn’t plastered on the magazine’s cover, as were the woman’s sliced and dismembered buttocks.

Below you will find the second of two action alerts from Kinship Circle, detailing disaster relief needs in the Southeastern U.S., which is currently drying out from recent flooding (and preparing for another bout of heavy rains, to boot). This particular alert focuses on Cobb County Animal Control in Marietta, Georgia, which is inundated with animals. Even if you cannot foster or adopt a dog – or make a monetary donation to help with rescue expenses – please spread the word.

9/25/09: Soaked Southeast – Cobb County Dogs Need Rescue
Below is more information regarding COBB COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL in flood-hit Marietta, Georgia. Did you get yesterday’s (9/24/09) overview of animal needs in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi?

SUMMARY 9/24/09: From Janice Riccio, Quietzsch [at] aol.com —
Due to the massive flooding in the Atlanta area, and specifically Cobb County, many people displaced by floodwaters left their pets with Cobb County Animal Control. The shelter was slammed before the floods, so they had no room to house newcomers. They were desperate to find rescue for dogs already housed there or face euthanasia…

I’ve taken in 9 dogs and have no place to house them, other then boarding at two vet offices. This is very temporary, and although the vets have generously boarded the dogs at a discount, this will add up quickly — not to mention the other costs for rabies vaccines, altering, etc.

This is the first of two Kinship Circle alerts outlining animal-related rescue needs in the recently-flooded Southeastern U.S. In addition to the organizations listed below, CNN has a list of resources on its Impact Your World page; naturally, all of these focus on human needs, and many are religious in nature. If you’d like to suggest any animal rescue and/or secular groups, please do so in the comments!

As of Monday, 9/21/09, Kinship Circle has monitored floods across the Southeast U.S., in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky and Mississippi. Our small volunteer staff has contacted various agencies on the ground to offer support from our network of independently trained responders. There has been no direct call (as of 9/24/09) for out-of-state volunteers, but rescuers are needed to pull from flood-overcrowded shelters.

Rivers crested above flood levels in stricken areas, but most waters are receding. Below is a brief report. We’ll update you if circumstances change.